Maryland: Defendants can't be held in jail because they can't afford bail

Maryland Court of Appeals: Defendants can't be held in jail because they can't afford bail

Maryland's highest court adopted a landmark rule Tuesday aimed at ending the practice of holding criminal defendants in jail before trial when they cannot afford bail.The seven-member Court of Appeals unanimously agreed on a compromise that does not abolish money bail, as some advocates have urged, but instructs judges and court commissioners to look first to other ways to ensure a defendant appears for trial.